by Sara McGinnis posted in Pregnancy

Do you ever wonder why it is we have ways of grieving for children and adults who pass but none for pregnancy loss"
We might soon, though, thanks to a practice borrowed from abroad.

The Japanese tradition of Jizo statues "is starting to spread in the west," according to the Independent. The article goes on to explain:
"In Japan, some women find comfort in Jizo statues which line temples and cemeteries across the country. The statues are believed to be protectors of children and unborn babies in traditional Japanese Buddhist teachings. It is believed that as the babies did not have the chance to build up good karma on earth, Jizo helps smuggle the children into the afterlife in the sleeves of his robe. "The statues are often dressed in warm clothes in the hope that they will do the same for their unborn child."
Angela Elson, a writer for The New York Times, saw Jizo statues firsthand when she lived in Japan.
"These small figurines dressed in red caps and bibs honor the souls of babies who are never born," she explains. "Crowding their feet are toys and snacks left by parents to comfort their children in the afterlife. Sometimes a woman would turn away as we approached her on the path. Sometimes the flowers would still be fresh."

At the time she and her husband "were young enough then to assume that tragedies happened to other people," and not to them. Years later, however, the...